Colorado shooting suspect formally charged with 24 counts of murder, 116 counts of attempted murder

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Colorado shooting suspect formally charged with 24 counts of murder, 116 counts of attempted murder

James Holmes, the man accused of trying to murder an entire theater of people at a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises was formally charged today. He’s got 24 counts of first degree murder, 2 counts for each person killed and 116 counts of attempted murder.

Twelve murder counts cite “deliberation,” and 12 cite “extreme indifference” to the value of human life.

The 24-year-old former doctoral student was also charged with 116 counts of attempted murder, one count of felony possession of explosive devices and one sentence enhancer.

In addition to the 12 fatalities, he is suspected of wounding 58 moviegoers who had packed a Batman film premiere that began shortly after midnight on July 20.

He is also being held in connection with the subsequent discovery of his booby-trapped apartment, which authorities think he rigged before the massacre in the Century Aurora 16 multiplex. His next hearing is scheduled for August 9.

Holmes was to be led Monday through an underground tunnel that connects the courthouse to the Arapahoe County Jail, where he has been held in isolation without bail. In his initial court appearance last Monday, Holmes — his hair dyed various shades of orange — appeared dazed and did not speak.

Arapahoe County District Attorney Carol Chambers said last Monday that deciding whether to pursue the death penalty would take some time, since it would involve input from victims and their relatives.

Authorities have remained silent about a possible motive in the case.br>
A court document filed Friday revealed that Holmes was a patient of a University of Colorado psychiatrist before the attack.

The disclosure was made in a request filed by Holmes’ public defenders for authorities to hand over a package he sent to Dr. Lynne Fenton at the university’s Anschutz Medical Campus, where he had been studying neuroscience before announcing earlier this month that he was withdrawing from the program.

Via